1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, method, program for electronically maintaining medical information between patients and physicians and, in particular, where the information is maintained in a patient data structure that may be communicated between a physician computer and a patient device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Providing health care to patients who require considerable medical attention, such as elderly persons or those having debilitating illnesses, can be problematic on many fronts. For instance, when the patient visits a new physician, the patient must spend time filling out patient medical and prescription history and insurance information. For elderly or ill patients, this process can be difficult and often yields inaccurate or incomplete information. Further, the physician and staff must spend considerable time questioning the patient on past symptoms, illnesses, and current medications and therapies. Again, if the patient is elderly or somewhat incapacitated, then they will likely not be able to garner an adequate, let alone complete, picture of the patient's current state. This failure to provide the treating physician complete information may cause the physician to misdiagnose the patient's problem or prescribe inappropriate or redundant medications and therapies.
Still further, an elderly or ill patient may have trouble keeping track of all the medication they must take and the schedule for their medication, as well as remembering all their medical appointments. Further, a care taker who is responsible for assisting a patient on a daily basis may have difficulty keeping track of all appointments and medication schedules.
Currently, there are patient management database and scheduling software products tailored for a physician's office that are used to maintain patient information, including medical history, medication history, insurance billing information, and visit scheduling. However, currently, such information is maintained solely by the physician and such electronic information is not communicated to the patient or other physicians treating the patient in a separate clinic.
For these reasons, there is a need in the art for an improved patient medical information system that allows patient medical information, such as medical history, insurance information, prescription information, and visit scheduling to be effectively communicated to the patient, the care provider for the patient, and the different doctors and physician offices the patient must visit.